Community Compass: Readfield’s costly broadband plan doesn’t connect

There already is good, reliable internet in the area, and along with the sports complex bond, it would make the town more unaffordable.

CentralMaine.com
Krysta West
Readfield

Having lived in Readfield for more than six years now, I feel truly blessed to be a resident here.

Readfield is a great community within proximity to pretty much everything you could want to do, both indoors and outdoors. It also has made investments in land access, water access and trails, making it a truly wonderful place to live and raise a family.

That said, there is no denying that since moving to town, this place has become more and more unaffordable for families and those living on fixed incomes. That’s why I was alarmed to hear about two items that will be on the June 14 ballot: a warrant to approve a $5 million bond for the town to purchase its own broadband through Axiom and a $500,000 bond to build a sports complex.

If they are both approved, the average household in Readfield can expect to pay around $240 per year more in property taxes. That may not seem too bad until you examine the details.

During the March 2 Readfield Broadband Committee Meeting, the committee and town manager reviewed broadband cost estimates from five companies. The estimates ranged from $167,354 from Spectrum, the company that currently provides my internet and cell phone service, to $5.5 million. The second most expensive quote, at just shy of $5 million, was by Axiom Technologies, a Machias-based company with a troubling record for providing high-speed fiber optic broadband in Maine.